Smt. Neela Ramgopal is no more

Remembering musicians of the recent past
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SrinathK
Posts: 2477
Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Smt. Neela Ramgopal is no more

Post by SrinathK »

The Carnatic Music community is in grieving at the passing of Smt. Neela Ramgopal today morning.

I still remember the concert she had given at IITM music club which must now be over 15 years or so back. I am sure there must be so many among the musicians and rasikas alike who would have known her. One by one, the old guard moves on! Aum Shanti.

Nick H
Posts: 9379
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Re: Smt. Neela Ramgopal is no more

Post by Nick H »

She was a member of this forum.

This is such sad news. Her wonderful music is one thing, another is that meeting her was always like meeting an old friend. Even though I doubt that I did meet her more than five to ten times. She always gave that personal warmth. Oh, what a great loss.

Sympathy and condolence to all.

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Smt. Neela Ramgopal is no more

Post by arasi »

I just heard the news from a friend. I wanted to meet her, now that I am in India. I wanted to call her, but she wasn't able to take calls. Then I heard she was hospitalized.

I can't imagine that dynamite of a being fading away this way. Her unique style in music was born out of her skills, determination, application and her endless thirst for learning more. Her enthusiasm! Her imagination was something to behold and listen to with joy. She was my kind of a musician.

I was pleased no end when she said she wanted to sing my songs on a CD. Old members at Rasikas.org might remember that she was a keen reader here at Rasikas and she also posted--under the name of Gnanam and when a few members didn't want me to give anyone that I didn't know my songs to sing, I said that I was aware that it was none other than a grand vidushi that was Neela Ramgopal! She heard me sing about thirty songs that she chose among fifty lyrics,
recorded them and that was it. The next time I was in India, she had the CD ready! All that I had to do was get it released in Chennai (at Nada Inbam and Nick was there too). What a catalyst she was! Her love for life, her absolute love for music, her expertise in it and her spreading it by inspiring her students is all amazing when I look back.

And her dynamism! She would have been more well-known in her early career and appreciated, had she lived in Chennai. Mr. Ramgopal worked in Bengaluru and over the years, how she strove to learn more! In her early years, she gathered other young aspirants and succeeded in bringing every month to Bengaluru none other than Vidwan T. Rangachari to teach them. Her zeal never faded, even after she became an established musician.

Neela Ramgopal no doubt was a shining star of CM in Karnataka for many years. Her bringing Papanasam Sivan's kritis to Kannada singers by publishing them in notations and Kannada script is just one of her many achievements. The recording of all melakarta raga kritis is another valuable cache. Her many students, including Sumitra Nitin and Saundarya Srinivasan that I feel close to, are feeling lost, no doubt...

My heartfelt sympathy to her family for their loss.
Neela Ramgopal was a vibrant soul. Now she is gone to join her sweet mate, Sri Ramgopal...

It's just recently that we lost a giant contributor here at Rasikas: Dr. Pasupathy. My heart is with them both--two determined individuals, working tirelessly at their mission in spreading music and tamizh writings.

The world has lost a bit of light in their passing away and it saddens me...
Last edited by arasi on 02 Mar 2023, 01:42, edited 1 time in total.

thanjavooran
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 04:44

Re: Smt. Neela Ramgopal is no more

Post by thanjavooran »

Sad news. Ohm Shanthi

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Smt. Neela Ramgopal is no more

Post by rajeshnat »

Very sad to hear the news of this great vidushi moving on. She is one musician who was perennially searching for freshness and also anchoring very firmly in fundamentals . Her voice and style when i heard her for the first time bit resembled vidushi DK Pattammal , all her renditions were to the core sticking to fundamentals of carnatic idioms. Bangalore got a lot of carnatic distitlled by her guidance for atleast 6 to 7 decades- she must have had hundreds of students over the years.

When I talked with her few times say 10 to 15 years ago , she does not beat around the bush and she never played the age card . Maami in one of the interviews that i heard says that her father moved from kumbakonam to a smalll village around kumbakonamm which did not have music at all but from there she built brick by brick with just her indomitable courage to learn every day. Her journey is inspiring and unfortunately she had to move on as age indeed caught up.

Condolences to her extended family and sishyas .
Tribute to her with her rendition of Dikshitar's ambA neelAyadAkshi in neelAmbari.
https://youtu.be/FD1pExk0InQ?t=288

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Smt. Neela Ramgopal is no more

Post by arasi »

Rajesh,
Her father, though not a professional musician, played the violin all the time, it seems. As a child, she grew up to the sound of it. While many of us growing up with music around us just took it for granted, she was different. Even as a child, she must have focused on her art, and what's more, honing it all along, singing, teaching with such verve, inspiring her many students, young and old, over the years. I have met many of her students, even her very first student who happened to be waiting for her along with me at the gate to her apartment once who wasn't a practicing musician but over the years her devotion for her guru hadn't faded and she seemed to be visiting her regularly.

Sri. Ramgopal again was a lovely individual who was foil to her exuberant self but himself a fan of hers. What a pair they were!

Your likening her to DKP yes, is one dimension of her music. She was MLV too, for her imaginative flights and boldness. In essence, she loved her art and crafted it in her own fashion which brought joy. Besides her students, she had many ardent fans, Sappri on Rasikas being one.Her daughter learnt from her.

And Neela's sense of humor! She was fun to know, to be with. She was a trooper, fighting any serious ailment which came her way. May her soul rest in peace, but may her spirit be felt by all who knew her...

vasanthakokilam
Posts: 10956
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 00:01

Re: Smt. Neela Ramgopal is no more

Post by vasanthakokilam »

very sad news indeed. Sympathies and condolences to her family and friends for their loss.

Thanks Arasi for the fond recollections

munirao2001
Posts: 1334
Joined: 28 Feb 2009, 11:35

Re: Smt. Neela Ramgopal is no more

Post by munirao2001 »

My meeting Neela Maami was either at Gayana Samaja or at the venue of concerts of Sanjay Subramaniam or T.M.Krishna.
"Why not experience excellent music of past and the present great maestros without 'filters'? "
"Why can't we adopt technology to reach out to serious students?" (In teaching over internet)
"I worshipped MLV (Sangitam), "Yes, it was all in my music".
"It is (allways) BJP and Congress on the choice of choices between US (Neela and Ramagopal on events)"
"Now (ippo) not Neela..'Leela' (vishamakkari/prankster)"
These were some of the gems in my very brief acquaintance and conversations.
One unforgettable fact about Neela Maami is the same intensity in discipline while learning and teaching. Yet another unforgettable fact is that I missed two great opportunities to know more about her and her music when I missed out invitation for lunch at her home.

munirao2001
Posts: 1334
Joined: 28 Feb 2009, 11:35

Re: Smt. Neela Ramgopal is no more

Post by munirao2001 »

My meeting Neela Maami was either at Gayana Samaja or at the venue of concerts of Sanjay Subramaniam or T.M.Krishna.
"Why not experience excellent music of past and the present great maestros without 'filters'? "
"Why can't we adopt technology to reach out to serious students?" (In teaching over internet)
"I worshipped MLV (Sangitam), "Yes, it was all in my music".
"It is (allways) BJP and Congress on the choice of choices between US (Neela and Ramagopal on events)"
"Now (ippo) not Neela..'Leela' (vishamakkari/prankster)"
These were some of the gems in my very brief acquaintance and conversations.
One unforgettable fact about Neela Maami is the same intensity in discipline while learning and teaching. Yet another unforgettable fact is that I missed two great opportunities to know more about her and her music when I missed out invitation for lunch at her home.

kmrasika
Posts: 1258
Joined: 10 Mar 2006, 07:55

Re: Smt. Neela Ramgopal is no more

Post by kmrasika »

A very huge loss to CM 😭- Neela māmi's renditions were always brimming with creative fertility and each piece was given due the gait and weight they rightfully deserved. She was also known to be a very strict teacher with uncompromising standards. Hopefully her students will carry on and continue the legacy she has left behind. May her soul rest in peace.🙏🏻

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